Not an alternative universe
by Audio.Artistic
Summary: Just like the title says, this is not an AU. Hirogo. It's a mystery how they feel like something is not right in their life. Like they need to be somewhere else. Could they find out a way to solve this mystery.


She could call her life peaceful and exciting all she wants, but she will always feel something missing from it.

Ethel Ra-bong, is that even her full name? Or better yet, is it her name at all? She knows people call her Gogo all the time, and that, she knows why.

Gogo and that's just because it feels so right to her lives with her parents in Seoul, South Korea. 18 years old college student in her third year. She's a bit short for her age, has black, short hair with a streak of purplish strands falling down along the right side of her forehead, fair skin, pink lips, and brown eyes. She usually wears a dark gray jacket, ripped dark gray leggings with violet patches underneath a pair of black shorts with a red line highlighting it.

Gogo majors in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design. Yes, it's a surprise she got in too early for her age, but she exceeded her classes and there was no way the education department of the country could have missed the opportunity to nourish these kinds of talent. And fast. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't appreciate the gesture, but sometimes she just thinks they're overdoing it because she only chose that major just to get more speed. No matter how much sad that sounded, she loves it and that's that. Speed is essential for her hobby after all. And the only time you would see her smiling and laughing her heart out is when she's practicing her hobby.

Street racing.

Now her hobby might not be one for a girl, but that's what she does the best. Besides, the girl doesn't know any limits and she's tough. Tough, as in she can beat girls or boys alike if any of them tries to stand in her way. So why would a little street racing stop her?

Probably, after hearing street racing, it makes you think of cars. Well, that's not completly right, because give Gogo some wheels and blink. Anything with wheels, really. Rollers, bicycle, motorcycle or a car. She even practices parkour. Well, the latter is obvious actually, since she needs it to skid over fences or anything of the like. Like that time she used her bicycle to jump over a railing half meter high. You'd think she'd use the traditional way, but no. She just used her bike to jump, with not much force needed.

well, as any normal racer, she peddled on her bicycle, faster than the wind, street racing through the crowd of people. How could she do that? well, she could anticipate each individual's movement just by looking at them. She analyzes their postures, how they're walking, what they're holding, if they have a companion and certainly where they're looking and if the way they're looking at is accessible for them to even consider moving. That way, she could know where they will be going and when. All that is done within seconds and even 100 meters away so she can come up with the best course of action to avoid the 'obstacles', in time. Speaking of obstacles, when she nears to the half meter high railing, you would think she would crash, but in reality, she holds the front brake tightly for 2 splits of a second. The bike almost flippes over itself from the high speed before Gogo pushes some of her weight on the front wheel, which makes it jump up and with the back wheel completely over the railing, the front wheel followes. And that's how the bike flippes over the railing, not jumpes, but flippes with Gogo still on it. Street racing or not, the organizers took it upon them to always send more drones after her to watch her every movement during the race. Of course, the other competitors had their own, but she always had more than one and she did not mind, because she loved to see how good her new move was, from every angle. And believe it or not, her wide smile is the most important when she sees how successful her move was.

Leave it to Gogo to make it spectacular. Like that other time when she won a car race. When she was sure she would win the race and the finish line is 100meters away, she would drive her car backward and kill her opponents with her imaginary gun before laughing her silent laugh. No one ever thought of it as a mockery gesture, because it really was just a signature for hers.

All this is good for Gogo. She wouldn't want anything else. Peaceful, but exciting. She might even add happy, because seriously what would she do if her hobby was stopped at some point, deemed illegal, which it is actually. Well, aside from that, her life is good if she should say so herself, but...

Gogo always felt like something is missing from this exciting life. Something that she couldn't describe. She would always ask her parents if there is something she should know, hoping against hope to have a long lost twin sister or brother that could be connecting with her, but her parents always looked confused and she would drop the subject.

Sometimes, she would chalk it up to being lonely and that she needed love in her life. And ha! She has it. She's loved by her parents and some of her classmates even have a crush on her, she knows. Some of them even confessed to her and she always wanted to say okay, but her heart never wanted to let her. She felt her heart hurt every time she wanted to agree to some guy's proposal of being his girlfriend. Like her heart belongs to someone she didn't even meet yet. And with that said, she feels like she's committing an act of betrayal whenever she starts checking a guy out or even, them. Seriously, what is wrong with her?

Gogo always thought of moving out to somewhere she belonged. Like her home was not hers, despite her welcoming parents being there each time she came home and greeted her. People do say that a home is where loved ones are, but she doesn't know why she can't feel the same. She would maybe figure it out if she left for a long trip to someplace far away from 'home'.

Gogo flipped page after page of a travel magazine she found in a store someday. She had her cheek on the back of her right hand while she examined the pages.

'India! So dirty.' She thought then flipped another page. 'Dubai! So cliché. Everyone goes there and it's basically just another utopia.' Another page. 'Morocco! Well, that's... Nah, it's unpredictable. Just like putting Mixed cultures, modern and nostalgia together in a mixer. Maybe I'll consider going there when I'm on my honeymoon' She chuckled slightly and flipped another page, but this time she couldn't help but stare at it for a long time. It was America's flag alright. Gogo never was interested in going there, only, maybe if her studies required that, and she's sure they will.

Gogo could not help but be drawn to the pictures. They were calling out to her. Like she needed to be there no matter what. One specific picture drew her attention more than the others though.

A picture of San Francisco.

Come on Gogo, this is your salvation. You should definitely come to San Francisco no matter what. Maybe by some luck, you will find what you're looking for. An answer, something or even someone that's missing from your life. Just get on with it, you want this. At least that's what the picture said.

"ugh! I must be losing my mind. But why is it this city in particular? Why not somewhere in Japan? After all, I'm invested in all that is tech related!" She said in frustration digging her fingers in her hair and she felt weird after that. Maybe because she's in a library and is surrounded by too much visitors. Joy! She glanced up to see if they were looking at her and to her misfortune they were, and they had an incredulous look on their faces. 'Crazy' was what she thought they thought of her.

"Egh." She sunk her head between her shoulders, then she hurriedly bowed and gathered back her things before she scurried out.

Later that day, she laid on her bed, her feet on the floor, hands under her head and her eyes on the ceiling.

She still couldn't understand why would San Francisco be so important, that her mind and heart would be drowned to it.

She closes her eyes to think about it more. And what she sees nerves her, hence why she shot upsetting on her bed, huffing.

"What was that?" She asked herself with wide eyes.

Now if she was not losing her mind and she is sure she is, she saw people, five of them. obscured, blurred maybe, but she is sure she saw people. Stop calling her crazy. Ah, wait! She's the one calling herself crazy. Well, you can't blame her, she can't fathom what she just saw a second ago.

She looked at the magazine she brought with her, still on the same page that attracted every fiber in her in. And now it's starts talking to her, not literally though. 'Come, come.' "Uuuugh! Okay okay okay, I'm going." She said out loud and uncharacteristically for her.

"Ethel, are you Okay?" Her mother worriedly called out to her from down the stairs.

Gogo put her hands at her sides as if ready to hide something, afraid she did something wrong. Aside from that scream, she didn't do anything. She never felt like this before, at least not before this late event, which was strange. "U-uh I'm Okay Omma." She called back stuttering, but then turned her head toward the magazine again. "Actually, I need to tell you something." She said as she stood and walked out of her room leaving the magazine behind.

...and her plane landed safely on the ground, at exactly 10:00 am. She stood and took out her only bag out from above her seat, then went out for her terminal. Oh please! Don't ask her how did she convince her parents to let her go on this trip. Just know that it was not good.

Talking about good, when she put her feet in the airport for the first time, she thought it was good and amazing, just what you'd expect fom America. Going all out on things.

After the amazement passed she directed herself to the passport control and immigration for chek-up. She knew her way around the different levels thanks to the clear signs posted all over the airport. Also thanks to those sings she discovered there's a rental car center, just in a different building though. She already was set on taking a Taxi, but seeing how she does not know her way around San Francisco, she doesn't want to make the driver angry at her when his patience runs out, so she preferred a rental car. With that in mind, she continues her way out.

So, wow! The airport from outside is even better. Huge and out there and it's probably designed to sustain so much damage if there ever is a natural hit or something. Not that it's not fashionably designed. Gogo didn't have time to explore. She would have if she didn't need to look for a place to stay first. Sure she arrived early, but if some unwanted difficulty were to happen out of nowhere, she will be stuck outside in just a rental car and she didn't want that. So, she rented a car and put her bag in the passenger seat and trund on the ignition using the keys they gave her.

She drove through the streets of San Francisco for about 3 hours and still no cheap place she could rent. After all, her parents didn't give her much money to travel to a country that the dollar is so high in comparison with the Won. Even though she brought her money, the money she won in her races, it still was not enough. She knew that the moment she rented the car. At this point, she didn't know if her money could last for another day.

Even though with this mishap she still didn't want to turn back. She wants to know why is she dragged here in the first place. Why is her heart beating like this? Why is her head hurts? She must be afraid of what she will discover. Maybe because she could find some secret about herself, that, for some reason didn't sit well with her.

She continued on driving until she suddenly stopped altogether. She couldn't drive anymore but still kept her hands on the wheel. She leaned her head to the front, looking down. She didn't know what she was doing anymore, but her heart still wanted to be here and her brain agreed. So, who was she to disagree? And besides, right now she has a feeling that this is the right place.

Wait! The right place?

She looked up to inspect her location. Where is she, anyway? She turns her head right and left, but not a clue where she is. She descends her car (well her rental car) and looks around. Still nothing. If only there was a way to know where she is.

wait a sec!

Yep, she will just need to use her smartphone! Why didn't she think about it earlier? Ah yeah! She wanted to follow her 'instincts' or whatever she was feeling right now.

She pulled out her phone from her pocket and searched the maps for her location. Well, that's weird. Her phone says that she's near city college Frida Kahlo way.

Hey 'instincts'! She doesn't need another college, she goes to one already.

Lost is an understatement for Gogo, now. She doesn't know where she is, she doesn't even know why she's here at all and she's hungry.

She sighed, then put her phone back in her pocket. She was about to open the door to her car when she heard a voice calling her name. 'Gogo' and oh God, how familiar that voice sounded. She snapped her head behind her, but she found nothing.

'Gogo' She heard it again. She snapped her hear right. This is getting weirder and weirder by the second. 'Ethel' What the hell.

"What! What do you want from me?" She asked yelling. Wow Gogo! You finally asked.

'Gogo' it happened again.

"You're just in my head. leave me alone." She said as she clutched her head in both her hands. "You're just in my head." She repeated in a whisper as she closed her eyes tightly in hopes of getting rid of that voice, but to no avail. It repeated again, this time softly. She snapped her eyes and screamed in frustration, then started running toward the school building in front of her. She ran and ran, randomly. She just wanted the voice to stop. She forgot her car and her bag. She'd tend to them later if she didn't end up in a mental facility.

She ran and ran until she pumped into something and fell.

"Ugh." she groaned and scratched the back of her head.

"Ow! what happened?" She heard someone ask and looked up.

Bushy.

She noticed the person has bushy hair, as he scratched at it. She didn't realize when he started staring at her. He skin is light, his skin that of a young Asian adolescent. She's sure. She even thinks his eyes are brown.

"No way! You're for real?" He said wide eyes and she could see a gap between his two front teeth.

"uh! What?" She inquired in confusion.

"The girl from my dreams!" He said with his eyes wide open and a toothy smile.

Now that's new. If this was fate's doing, then she's not Okay with it. Come on! a dream, a voice, and instincts? How stupid is that?

"Huh!?"


End file.
